Apparatus for separating ores by flotation



A. J. P. DE BAVAY. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING ORES BY FLOTATION.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO.19,1904.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

A z m A. J. F. DE BAVAY. APPARATUS FORSEPARATING ORES BY PLOTATION.

APYLIOATION FILED 13110.19, 1.004.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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[YUIIUUUUUUUUUU' r F/ AL L llllll ll 1 LIFIIIIIIII I ancus'rn xos'srii FRANQOIS DE 'BAVAY, OF KEW, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING ORE-S. BY FLCTATION Specifiqation oi! Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1c, 1909.

Application fllediscqmber 19, 1904'. Serial No. 237,585.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I AUGUS'IE JOSEPH FRANQOIS on BavAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Florimel, GellibrandQ- street, Kew, in the British State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Austx 'alia, brewer and chemist, have in-.

vented azeertain new and useful Apparatus for Separating Ores by Flotation, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of an apparatus "for separating by flotation parts of the con stituents of ores, gangues, tailings, concentretes slimes and other solid'bodies such as earths .oi'. roclpf containin particles capable of fiotation' which it is esired to separate from the remainder thereof. The term water is hereinafter used to mean and include water or other liquid on which the particles which it is desired to separate are capable of flotation. The ore (which term is hereinafter used-to mean and include all such bodies) to be treated or the solid particles thereof, must be in a suitably pulverized .COIldltlOn and saturated with water.

I have found in practice that a. degree of division enabling the particles of the ore to pass through a. 40 mesh s'ieye and not to pass through a 100 mesh sieve is suitable.

The invention will now be described aided by a reference to the accompanying sheets 0 drawings which illustrates an apparatus built according to any invent on and in which Figure 1 is a sectional side view of an apparatus constructed according to my invention'; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same; Fig. 3 is a. broken sectional view of a portion of a trough, showing the application of the adjustable lip-thereto; and Fig. 4 is a. broken detail view of said lip.

The apparatus consists in the first placeof an inclined surface or .tahle A suitably erected, supported and constructed so that it can be adjusted at an angle to the horizontal or if fixed, supported at an angle of about 45 thereto somewhat as shown and preferably madeof or covered with metal oiother non-absorbent material and if desired divided by division ribs as 0. (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) into a series of races. lit the upper end of the apparatus is a feed pipe B having perforations b along'its lower side and having a ri'itary worm l3 therein, or the feed device may be in the form of a feed hopper or bin provided with an adjustable delivery nozzle or nozzles or other feed device. From said perforated pipe B the orc in a pulverized condition and saturated with water is fed in a regulated quantity supplied from a cistern as C on to the inclined surface or table A in av thin paste.

D is a pipe fed from any convenient source and provided with nozzles d for supplying a small stream of water sufiicient to carry the ore down the inclined surface or table in a thin film such being aided by transverse brushes or distributers E. The lower part of such inclined surface or table A dips into or terminates in a shallow trough, or well F hereinafter termed a trough which when the apparatus is in use is filled with water to u the level of an overflow lip or ledge F arrgflnged at the side or part of trough in froifit of the inclined table or surface and outside of said lodge is a gutter G leading away at a downward inclination from such trough to a suitable bin the upper end of said. gutter being slightly below the level of the ledge of trough F to provide an overflow therefrom, while said ledge or lip F is made in the form of a sliding plate secured by thumb screws f to be adjustable in order that the heightof water in the trough may be re ulated to a small extent. In the said trougi F under the lower end ot'the inclined table A the front part of an endless traveling belt or table II is arranged which table is carried on rollers h in such a manner as to have t-w'dinclined planes one leading from under the Water at front of trough to over its back ed e and the other plant leading down therefrom to deliver the Ina terials aided by a stream or spray of water from a pipe H to the inclined table A of another apparatus of the sam'c kind the const-rnction being repeated as often as may be necessary or desirable and erected so that the whole will work continuously when once started. If so desired said ciullcss traveling belt may be provided with transverse slats pr ribs or the like, and further the beltmay be carried on endless chains SllQPOl'ltd on sprocket; wheels or chain sheaves. In Fig. l the traveling belts ll are (-oimected by a crossed belt 11. on pulleys b," on two of the roller spindles to one oi. willie-ii pulleys motion is imparted. I

if continuous action is dcsmed the bcfm-c" n'iontioned cisterns C should be arranged in pairs as shown in Fig. 2 ol'lch providcd with stirrers or agitators C carried on a central vertical spindle G to which rotary motion is imparted. They are also furnished with man hole or feed doors G The supply of the ore'frozn the cisterns c with an outlet 0 through which compressed air-o1 other gaseous medium may enter and escape. The outlet C of one cistern is connected'through a suitable "pipe or conduit with the inlet C of an adjacent cistern, the object being that atintervals the valves controlling the supply of ore from the cisterns to the pipe B may be closed. and compressed air or other suit-able gaseous medium admitted through the inlet C of one of the cisterns, pass up through the ore in said cistern to thoroughly agitate it, and pass out through the out-let C. atthe top and thence to the inlet O ofthe-adjacent cistern. v

Each of the cisterns is further provided with a pressure gage to indicate the pressure of the compressed. orgas therein.

Water is adguittegl to each cistern, near the bottom thenghfi-ithrough an inlet C? and pem1itted to eseape through an outlet C near the top.

The transverse brushes or distributors E work atone end in guides 15, while their other ends are carried by the pivoted E the outer arm of each being attached by a rod E to an eccentric E on one of the in tiny shafts of apparatus.

In order to eii'ect the separation required an ore which elther with or Without wsslr ing, sifting or preliminary chemical treatment possesses particles capable of flotation which itis desired to separate, and which washing and chemical treatment may be done in the cisterns O, is fed from the said cisterns into the perforated pipe B and from thence on to the said inclined surface or table A in a thin pasty condition and is then carried down by a small stream of water from the said pipe D in a thin film, which is evenly distributed by the transverse brushes E, to the surface of the water in the said trough F in the manner and direction favorable to the flotation of such particles thereof as are capable of flotation, and which it is desired to separate, notwithstanding that many or all of such particles may be of greater specific gravity than the water or other liquid. Most of such particles are carried along the surface of the water in the trough E 'into the gutter G leading away therefrom and thence into a bin at the end thereof to be dealt with as may be desired. The residue or remainder of each chute, a liquid containing 1' an endless traveling belt in each of s mares oi? the particles sinlrs 1n the water in the said trough F to upon the said endless travcling belt H, which carries it upwards and over the back edge of trough and delivers it aided by a stream of water from pipe H to another inclined table A at a lower ievelend so on till the required separation /is effected when the ultimate remainder may be dealt with as may be desired.

The length and inclination of the surface or table, the quantity of water used to form, the stream and the height cit-he said ad justable lip or ledge, should /he regulated so as to bring about a speed and direction necessary to deliver a thin of the ore onto the surface of the water; in the and to carry a thin film of the particles capable of *otation'which it is desired to separate along such surface {and the dimensions and adjustment of the endless traveh ing belt or table and 'thexhreadth of the trough should he suficienti't-o enable all or nearly all the particles not capahle of flotation or which it is not desired to separate 5' to sink, and he delivered to the next inclined surface or table. The ascertainment of these matters can be easily made by a few trials having regard'to the ore under treatment and the liquid or liquids used and where desirable adjustments can he made in some of them without altering the others...

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure lei Patent is in an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a feed pipe, a rotary worm therein, an ore supply connected to ehch terminal of said pipe, a water supply pipe arranged parallel and adjacent to said feed pipe, a plurality of inclined chu distributing means ext-ending trans at the lower end of each chu be, prom one side with an adjustable overflow li and inclined gutter for receiving and couveying the particles capable of flotation,

receptacles having one en submerged th in and adapted. to'convey the heavier co. stituents from one trough to the succeeding inclined chute, spraypipes adapted to tie-- liver water upon the belts after they have emerged from said receptacles, and operating means common to said distributing means and said endless traveling belts.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

I AUGUSTE'JOSEPH Fihih'fiOlS lill EBAYAY. V

Witnesses:-

CHARLES iBnumneron BooYcoMe. 

